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The Broadway Blockbuster musical WICKED has flown into Australia’s Emerald City at the Sydney Lyric, playing until 21 January, before it heads to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 6 March 2024.
Almost 20 years since its premiere on Broadway, WICKED remains one of the most successful and popular musicals in the world. Winner of over 100 major awards including the Grammy Award, the Olivier Award, six Helpmann Awards, three Tony Awards® and six Drama Desk Awards, WICKED is “A Complete Triumph! An original musical that will make you laugh, cry and think” (USA Today).
The musical has played in 16 countries around the world including Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, The Philippines, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, and has been translated into six languages. WICKED is now the 4th longest running show in Broadway history (surpassing CATS).
The novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire, published in 1995, has sold 5.5 million copies, with 5 million of those sold since 2003 when the musical opened. Buoyed by the musical’s success, the novel has appeared on bestseller lists for close to two decades since its initial publication.
The Australian cast is led by Courtney Monsma as Glinda, the bubbly, popular girl who becomes “Glinda the Good”, and Sheridan Adams as Elphaba, the girl born with emerald-green skin who grows up to become the “Wicked Witch of the West”. Playing the role of the conniving and manipulative Madame Morrible is Australian theatre icon and multi-award winning actress Robyn Nevin, while theatre and television favourite Todd McKenney is the Wizard. Rising star Liam Head plays Fiyero, the handsome and seemingly shallow Winky Prince, and one of the most in-demand actors on the Australian stage, Adam Murphy, portrays Dr Dillamond, a goat and teacher of life sciences and a philosopher at Shiz University. Shewit Belay, who made her professional musical theatre debut understudying the three lead female roles in Hamilton, plays Elphaba’s wheelchair bound sister Nessarose, and as the naïve, insecure and lovable munchkin Boq is Kurtis Papadinis in his professional adult debut. Zoe Coppinger is the Elphaba Standby, and Geraldine Turner is Guest Artist for Madame Morrible in Sydney.
The talented group of performers comprising the WICKED Ensemble and Swings includes Christian Ambesi, Conor Bann-Murray, Brittany Carter, Olivia Castagna, Eli Cooper, Matt Cranleigh, Joseph Donovan, Sage Douglas, Bayley John Edmends, Todd Jacobsson, Rohan Khanna, Andrew Kroenert, Elisha Zion Lee, Jordan Malone, Emily Monsma, Matilda Moran, Jackson Reedman, Amelia Sanzo, Edward Smith, Ksenia Teliatnikova, Lucas Van Rhijn, Jessica Vellucci, Mietta White and Jun Woodfield.
WICKED Australia Co-producer John Frost said, “I’m thrilled we’re able to bring WICKED to Australia which will coincide with its 20th anniversary on Broadway. This is one of the most lavish musical productions to have ever played in Australia, the full Broadway experience. You can see every dollar spent on the magnificent sets and lush costumes, a feast for the eye and the ear. A proven blockbuster all around the world since it premiered, it has become one of the most loved musicals of all time. People love it for so many different reasons – some come for the engrossing story, some for the astonishing sets and costumes, some for the soaring ballads, some for the deeper messages, and some to see the life-affirming friendship between the two young women who grow up to be Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. “If you have never seen WICKED, come and see it for the first time and be spellbound. If you have seen it before, I know you’ll want to come back and be enthralled all over again. Get your tickets now while you can.”
Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other young women meet in the land of Oz. One born with emerald-green skin is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. The other is bubbly, blonde, ambitious and exceptionally popular. They become rivals, then friends…until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.” “WICKED’s production values are exceptional.
A POWERFUL PIECE OF THEATRE” - The Australian
“A SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINMENT with deep emotions and a serious message” - The Tokyo
“If every musical had the brains, heart and courage of WICKED, Broadway really would be a magical place” - Time Magazine
“WICKED is splendiferous as ever! The show works because it explores the complexity of moral choices and the prices we have to pay for making them. It’s a reminder of how musicals can support complex stories when you have a book writer of the quality of Winnie Holzman, great songs by Stephen Schwartz and a rich, visually splendiferous production, as directed by Joe Mantello. And, of course, the green girl and the blonde girl, as they refer to each other, are everyperson figures. We’re all either one or the other.” – Chicago Tribune
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production features musical staging by Wayne Cilento with original direction by Joe Mantello.
WICKED is produced by in Australia by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. WICKED is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Experience the unforgettable, award-winning musical WICKED.